Cleaning attachment for player-pianos.



CLEARING mmsmzm'r F03 PLAYER HANDS.

APPLIGATIOK FILED AUG.27, 1913. I

1. 1 Patented Feb. 53 1915.

' invention, Fig. 2 is a UNITED s'rivrus PATENT oFFIoE;

I| 0UIS H. GRANZUW, 6F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE vP. BENT GOMPAN'Y, 0F GHICAGG, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR PLAYER-PIANOS.

.tlpplieation filed August 27, 1913. Serial No. 786,835.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1., Louis H. URANZOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning Attachments for Player-Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to cleaning devices for player pianos and its object is to pro vide means whereby all the ports, valves and vents in the valve-chambers of the player mechanism may be cleaned by the bellows of the player.-

ln player pianosdust frequently clogs the vents or bleed-holes and thevalves of the pneumatic valve-chamber so that the former are more or less choked and the latter do not-c.

seat properly with the result that the corresponding notes do not respond quickly and the hammers ot' the piano do not return immediately to the hammer rail. To clean such vents or valves by hand it is necessary to take out part of the frame of the piano and clean the obstructed parts with a wire or'brush after locating the note or notes that are not playing freely.

The purpose of my inventionis to provide an organization by which all dust and foreign substances clogging the vents or valves will be drawn out through the tracker-bar openings by an exhaust or suction tube located on the outside of the piano and establishing temporary communication between the tracker-bar and the bellows of the player and collected on a screen or sieve removablv located in the tube.

With this object in view the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and then pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a player piano illustrating a przcticzf embodiment of my view partly in cross section of the conne ing tube detached, Fig. 3 is sectional detail view of the tube, and Fig. 4c is a detail view of the dust catcher or so een.

In the drawings the reference numeral 9 indicates in -eneral an upright piano provided with a soundingboard, strings and piano action which may be played by the usual keys or by a pneumatic player mech- Sanism. The player is provided with the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 31915 n usual air exhaust pumps or bellows 10 and their operating treadles l1 hinged to the treadle bar-12 and connected by suitable link mechani-snr 13 to the pumps so that when the tre'adles are operated air is drawn into the pumps from the bellows-chest 1i and the piano-action chest 15 and when a perforation in the paper sheet .or record of music 16- registers with the corresponding hole in. the tracker-bar 17 air is drawn in and carried down through the tubes 18 into the valve chamber 19 in which the primary valves 20 are located and which also is pro vided with the vents 21, the pressure of air on the underside of the valves 20 opening them away from their upper seats and clos ing them against their lower seats to allow air to be taken in through the channel 2-2 to open the secondary valves 23 which causes air to be drawn from the pneumatics 24: by whose collapse the striking-fingers are raised to cause tile piano hammers 2 3 to strike the strings; when the secondary valve is operated air is drawn by the bellows 10 through the chest 15, wind trunk 26, tube 2? and bellows chest ll and thence into the bellows from which it is exhausted through the pallet 28.

Tire-above described player is now well known on the market and is intended to represent a suitable player to which my invention may be applied, it being understood that the details of the player may be varied and that my invention may be used with any player-shaving vents or valves, pump or bellows and tracker-bar. v

The vents 21 are small in diameter being usually about the size of an ordinary pin head and so are easily clogged by dust which prevents the hammers "25 immediately returning to the hammer rail 29 in position of readiness to quickly repeat its stroke as is frequently necessary, and the valves are required to seat on their openings or passages without leaking so that if any dust or dirt prevents their proper seating the corresponding notes'will not respond quickly. In order to remove any dirt or dust from these parts I provide means for reversing the direction of the flow of air through the vents and valves by temporarily establishing exhaust communication between the bellows or pumps of the wind chest and the exterior face of the trackenbar. This comiannication may be made between the tracker-bar and the bellows at any point wheref the: direction of the flow of air through these parts can be reversed, and

i end of a flexible exhaust tube or hose 31 may be temporarily attached. The free end of the tube is intended to register with the tracker-bar, and if desired its mouth or intake may be permanently shaped to correspond with the contour of the-tracker-bar as shown for example at 32. The tube is provided with a removable dust collector or catcher in the form of finely perforated sieve or screen 33 which willpermit the air to pass through it; but will detain and collect the dust, dirt and other foreign substances. In practice this collector will be removablysupported in the tube near the end to be attached to the nipple 30; this may be accomplished in any suitable manner as for example by mounting it in a ring 34 having'a shoulder 35 and by making this portion of the tube sectional and providing a metallic section 36 having av hollow filler piece -37 providing a seat 38 forthe shoulder of the collector and having its opposite and provided with a hollow pipe 39 to enter the nipple 30. The tube slips on and off the piece 36 and makes a tight joint with it, while the pipe 39 makes a tight joint with the nipple 30 when connected with the latter. 7

When the parts are in condition for use of the player mechanism the tube is detached from the nipple 30 which is closed by its cap or plug. When it is desired to clean the parts the usual re-roll lever by which the automatic playing action is terminated and the paper-record rerolling-devices arebrought intoplay is shifted to its rerolling position whereby the pneumatic action through the valve chamber 19 is cut out by the usual connections for that purpose now well known in the art and forining no part of this invention and so requiring no disclosure in the present case. The nipple 30 is opened and the end 39 of the tube is attached thereto; by operating either bellows or pump by the usual action upon its 'treadle 11 air is sucked in through the tube 31 and by placing its free end or month over one of the holes of the tracker bar the suction of the pump will draw air-1n re' verse direction as indicated by the arrows through the vent and around the valves correspondlng with that hole with sufficient forceto draw out any dirt or dust that mayhave lodged on the valve or in its seats or in the vent, and by moving the mouth or The dirt and dust are collected 1. An outside cleaner for pneumaticpian0-players comprising a flexible tube on the exterior of the piano casing and adapted at one end to removably engage with the suction devices of the player-mechanism and having an intake at its opposite end adapted to communicate with the tracker-bar openings, and provided on its interior at or near one end with a dust collecting device.

2. An outside cleaner for pneumatic piano-player mechanism comprising a nipple communicating with the suction device of the player mechanism, a flexible tube on the exterior of the piano-casing and having ,an intake at one end adapted to register with the tracker-bar. openings and a detachable section at its other end adapted 'to communicate withthe nipple of the windchest, a seat in the detachable section of the tube, and a removable screen on the seat.

'3. The combination with the tracker-bar and suction device of a pneumatic piano player, of a flexible tube on the exterior of the piano-casing and having an intake at one end to register with'the holes in the tracker-bar and a detachable section at its other end connecting with the suction device, a seat in the detachable section, and a removable screen on the seat.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses;

' LOUIS H. GRANZOW.

Witnesses L'. E. Trrus, J ,MoRoBEnTs. 

